This invention pertains to flexible screens used for enclosing a garage opening or entrance and more particularly, to garage screens configured to allow entry and exiting of the garage through the screen.
During warm weather, many homeowners seek to use their garages as an indoor patio, children's playroom, or serving area for outdoor picnics, cook outs, and the like. Unfortunately, use of garages for these purposes is often precluded because warm weather often brings out flies, wasps, mosquitos, and other pests which often disturb activities and occupants in garages. Unless equipped with screens designed to inhibit pests, homeowners cannot utilize their garages as an extra room.
In the past, garage screens have been used to protect garage occupants from pests. These screens, however, have several disadvantages including unobstructed entrance into and exit from the garage while the screen is in place. U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,917 (the '917 patent) describes a garage door screen wherein the screening material contains a single zipper for opening and closing a walk through. The walk through has a hazardous obstruction which can cause injury to those passing through it. In particular, when the walk through is opened, a portion of the screening material remains at the bottom of the opening (see FIG. 1). Unless care is exercised, the remaining portion at the bottom can cause a user to trip and fall.
Another problem associated with the '917 patent is created by use of a single zipper to open and close a walk through. As can be seen from FIG. 1 of the '917 patent, opening the walk through requires the zipper to travel along a track which rounds the corners of the flap. Unfortunately, when the zipper travels along the corner portions, the zipper is prone to jamming and may prevent users from freely entering or exiting the garage. Use of a single zipper also makes passage cumbersome, particularly when the user's hands are not free. A user must use a hand to push away the unzippered flap as it passes through the screen since the flap hangs in the passageway by one vertical edge permanently attached to the screen. If the user's hands are full, passage will be difficult.
Yet another problem associated with currently used garage door screens relates to security. Homeowners may dislike leaving garage screens attached overnight particularly when garage screens contain a walk through. Homeowners may fear that garage screens with a walk through invite a trespass or other unlawful entry. Rather than risk a trespass, many homeowners choose to remove their screen from their garage opening when the garage and the screen are not in use. Unfortunately, frequent removal can become quite burdensome.
Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a new and improved garage screen which overcomes the above referenced problems. A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved garage screen with a passageway which allows unobstructed access to the garage. A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved garage screen whose passageway may be secured using a locking mechanism. Another object of this invention is to provide a garage screen which is easier to attach to garage door frames. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects of the invention may be realized by means of the instrumentalities pointed out in the appended claims.